Power operated can opener with power pierce and cutlery grinding means



Oct. 10, 1967 R. E. MCLEAN 3,345,742

POWER OPERATED CAN OPENER WITH POWER PIERCE AND CUTLERY GRINDING MEANS Filed April 6, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Oct. 10, 1967 R. E. MCLEAN 3,345,742

POWER OPERATED CAN OPENER WITH POWER PIERCE AND CUTLEIRY GRINDING MEANS Filed April 6, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 /0cz I 1 I. v -/g 26b 1w a2 3 29 2% Faber? 5 Mclfea/r BY 25 m ATTOE ES/.5.

United States Patent 3,345,742 POWER OPERATED CAN OPENER WITH POWER PIERCE AND CUTLERY GRINDING MEANS Robert E. McLean, Raytown, M0., assignor to Rival Manufacturing Company, a corporation of Missouri Filed Apr. 6, 1966, Ser. No. 540,605 Claims. (Cl. 30-4) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A lever type electricially powered can opener having the hand lever carrying the cutter wheel and movably swingable about two transverse axes. A wobble plate is positioned between the hand lever and the frame and is operable either by manipulation of the hand lever with an engaged can or independently thereof, to move on at least one of said transverse axes and energize the associated motive power source.

The power pierce concept as a method for reducing reactive thrust forces required for the penetration of the end of the can by the cutting element of a can opener and the advantages gained are fully described in my application Ser. No. 386,948, filed Aug. 3, 1964 now Patent No. 3,277,570, and U8. Patents 2,902,757; 3,018,548 and 3,078,568.

One of the principal objects of the present invention is to provide, in a can opener of the type wherein the cutting element is carried by and moved into and out of can cutting position by a hand lever substantially pivoted to the body or frame of a can opener, an unique means for obtaining power pierce as the lever is swung downwardly to press the cutter against the end of the can.

The-aforementioned patents and application deal with rather complex can openers having special mounting arrangements for the cutter wheel and for supplying mechanism for moving the cutter wheel into and through piercing relationship with the can end. The instant invention is distinguishable over the referenced patents and application principally in that in the instant invention the hand lever itself carries the cutter wheel and is so mounted as to be swingable about two transverse axes, the swinging movement about one axis moving the cutter into engagement with the can, and about the other causing energization of the motor drive means.

Another important object of the invention is to provide, in a lever type electrically powered can opener of the character described, a cutlery grinding means which is operable by the energization of the motive power source for the can feeding element, said energization being accomplished at least in part by an uniquely constructed wobble plate. An important feature of the invention in this respect lies in the fact that the wobble plate functionally operates to close a switch and thereby energize the electric motor when a can is to be pierced in response to the movement of the hand lever. Alternately, the wobble plate may be used (independently of the hand lever) to operate the cutlery grinding means by energizing the electric motor through. direct manual manipulation of the wobble plate to close the same switch.

Other and further objects of the invention, together 3,345,742 Patented Oct. 10, 1967 ice with the features of novelty appurtenant thereto, will appear in the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings, which form a part of the specification and are to be read in conjunction therewith, and in which like reference numerals indicate like parts in the various views;

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary front elevational view of the upper portion of a power operated can opener embodying the inventive subject matter, the operating parts in the upper portion of the engage-d can being shown in the relative positions assumed when the can piercing lever has been lowered to lightly engage the can between the feed wheel and the cutting element;

FIG. 2 is a view similar to that of FIG; 1, but showing the relative positions assumed by the parts and the engaged can after the can piercing lever has been further depressed as necessary to cause energization of the electric motor preparatory to piercing of the end of the can;

FIG. 3 is a rear elevational view of the overall can opener unit, absent a protective casing, and with certain parts broken away for purposes of illustration, the movable parts being shown in the same position as shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially along the line 44 of FIG. 3 in the direction of the arrows, but showing the positions assumed by certain parts Whenever a can is not engaged in the device or whenever a can is engaged in the device and the can hand lever has not been depressed to a position below that shown in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 5 is a sectional view, generally corresponding to that of FIG. 4, but showing the positions assumed by certain parts whenever a can is engaged in the device and the hand lever has been depressed to, or below, the position shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, or whenever a can is not engaged in the device and a separate switch actuating means is manually depressed for the purpose of operation of a cutlery grinding means.

Referring now to the drawings, reference numeral 10 generally designates a body or frame of a typical electrically operated can opener. This frame may be die cast as a unit or fabricated in any other desired manner. Generally speaking, the principal part of the frame comprises the vertical or upright front member 10a. In commercial practice, this frame cooperates with an open front boxlike casing (not shown), the frame usually forming the front wall and providing the support for the parts of the can opener. The case or housing may be of any suitable design or con-tour and inasmuch as it forms no part of the present invention, and is not considered-necessary to the understanding thereof, it is not shown.

The serrated or toothed rotary can feed wheel for the can opener is indicated at 11. This is located on the front side of frame member 10a and is secured to a feed wheel drive shaft 12 which extends through and is rotatably supported in an appropriate bearing aperture in a thickened section (not shown) of the frame.

Referring particularly to FIG. 3, the motive power for the can feed wheel is supplied by an electric motor M which is mounted in any suitable fashion to the back of the frame. The armature shaft of the motor M is indicated at 13. It is drivingly connected with the feed wheel shaft 12 by means of a gear train involving the gear 14 on the motor shaft, the larger gear 15 carried on a shaft 16 (also journaled on the frame), a further reduction gear 17, and the final drive gear 18 secured to the feed wheel drive shaft. Thus, whenever the armature of the motor is rotating, the can feed Wheel 11 will simultaneously rotate but at a much reduced rate of speed. At its rearward end, the armature shaft 13 of the motor carries the cutlery grinding wheel 19, which can be of any suitable composition, and cooling fan blades B are located on the shaft inboard of the wheel 19. The motor is controlled by switch S, the details of which will be later described. The switch, secured to frame a by screws S1 and S2, is in series in a circuit of the motor, being connected with the source of power and with the motor by conventional wiring W.

Returning now to the front side of the can opener, and referring more particularly to FIGS. 1 and 2, reference numeral 20 indicates a pivotal hand or can piercing lever which, as will be seen, serves to provide a movable support for the can cutting element and at the same time is instrumental in starting and stopping the motor through the operation of the motor switch S. The cutter element is in the form of a cutter wheel 21, which is mounted for free rotation on the usual stud or arbor (not shown) anchored in the lever 20 and held on the arbor by the screw 22.

The lever 20 has secured to it an elongate pin member assembly, which as best seen in FIGS. 4 and 5, is made up of a forwardly or outwardly projecting cylinder portion 23a (which, as will be seen, acts as a can guide), a polygonal nut-like intermediate head portion 23b, and a threaded portion 23c which extends to the rearward side of the lever and through an appropriate opening in the frame, the size of which will be later discussed. The inner shoulder of the nut-like portion 23b is drawn against the face of the lever by an elongate nut having a polygonal head portion 24 and a cylindrical sleeve portion 24a. A suitable washer 24b is interposed between head 24 and the interior of the thickened frame 10a. Jam nut 25 is tightened against the outer surface of nut 24 to insure against it being loosened on the threaded element 230. It will be obvious that a sleeve and second independent nut could be substituted for the elongate nut 24, 24a, and that equivalent results would be accomplished.

As best seen in FIGS. 1, 4 and 5, a wobble plate, generally shown at 26, has a rectangular shaped, vertically oriented portion 26a and a rearwardly turned substantially horizontal leg 26b on the upper edge of the vertically oriented portion. The portion 26a is interposed between upright frame 10a and hand lever 20. In mounting wobble plate 26 relative to the upright frame, cylindrical sleeve portion 24a of the elongate nut earlier described extends freely through an aperature in the lower end portion of the rectangular piece 26a. A horizontally extending boss 27 (FIG. 1) protrudes from the front 10a of the frame, with which it is integral, through a suitable opening in the wobble plate rectangular portion 26a to preclude rotation thereof and to locate and position said plate for optimum operational results.

By referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, it will be seen that aperture 28, through which cylindrical portion 241: of the above-mentioned elongate nut extends, has a slightly larger diameter than the outside diameter of said cylindrical portion. This rather loose fit permits a limited amount of skewing of cylindrical portion 24a within aperture 28. In addition to that provided by the loose fit, skewing is facilitated by the slight angling of the forward side of frame member 10a abutting the surface of wobble plate 26a, above and below aperture 28. The combination of the loose fit of the cylindrical nut 24a and the angulation of side 10a allows plate 26 to freely rock or wobble on a line defining the longitudinal and substantially horizontal axis of can guide 23a.

Turning now to the construction of upright frame 10a and the related motor actuating components mounted thereon and located above the can guide structure, as

has been noted immediately above, the frontal surface of frame 10a angles upwardly and rearwardly from the forward extremity of aperture 28. The frame wall 10a has a thickened portion 29 that is centrally apertured and includes an actuating pin 30 positioned for free sliding movement therein. The rearward end of pin 30 contacts plunger 31 of switch S. The plunger is spring biased outward. In conventional can opener switches such as switch S, suflicient pressure exerted inwardly on plunger 31 will cause normally spaced apart resilient overlapping contact arms (not shown) to complete or to close a normally open circuit thereby energizing an associated electric motor. With the present arrangement, plunger 31 is always resiliently urged toward pin 30. A counter-bore 32 surrounds a portion of the forward end of pin 30 and thereby provides a rearward ,seat for a compression coil spring 33 that is telescoped over the forward end portion of pin 30 and seats forwardly against the inner face of the vertical portion 26a of wobble plate 26.

As indicated above, hand lever 20 is pivoted to the frame at the can guide generally referred to at 23. The hand lever 20 is provided at its upper edge with a rearwardly turned flange portion 20a which overlies the top edge of the basic frame structure 10 (FIG. 3). The can lever also carries the resiliently flexible forward can guide 34 secured to the lever by the rivet 35.

Operation When a can is not engaged in the can opener, the hand lever 20 will normally be in a position in which the flange 20a seats downwardly on the top of frame 10. When in this position the periphery of cutter wheel 21 substantially overlaps that of feed Wheel 11.

To prepare the can opener for reception of a can to be opened, the user first swings the free end of lever 20 upwardly about its pivot axis to its extreme upward position, such upward movement being limited by a suitable stop which is conventional in nature and thus not shown. When in this position, the periphery of the cutter wheel will be sufficiently separated from the periphery of the feed wheel to permit insertion therebetween of the rim or flange of the can. During this preliminary operation, the inward pressure of wobble plate 26a contacting and bearing against actuating pin 30 is not significantly changed and the various components assume the positions of FIG. 4.

The can is then positioned with its rim or flange 36 over the can feed wheel 11 but under the can guide 2311 as seen in FIG. 1. The cutter wheel 21 will then be somewhat above the position illustrated in FIG. 1 (sufficiently above to permit free insertion of the can rim 36 between the peripheries of the cutter wheel and the can feed wheel as previously stated) and the resilient can guide 34- will be somewhat above the upper edge of the rim of the can. The user then swings the free end of the lever 20 downwardly and presses it down just as far as it will go, such downward position being maintained until the end has been completely severed from the can. During this downward movement, two separate actions take place. First, the edge of the cutter wheel is brought into firm engagement with the end of the can and as downward pressure continues, the motor is started. Secondly, after the motor is started, and with continued downward pressure, the can cutter Wheel pierces into and through the end of the can and moves into overlapping relationship with the feed wheel while the cutting continues.

During the first phase of operation, as described above, that is during the initial movement of the free end of the lever 20 downwardly, the periphery of the cutter wheel engages the can end 37, and, inasmuch as rim 36 is firmly seated on the can feed wheel, the end 37 of the can becomes a temporary fulcrum for the lever acting through cutter wheel 21. Since the cutter wheel 21 is positioned substantially forwardly of the vertical plane of the front of front wall 10a (see FIGS. 1 and 2), further pushing or pressing of the free end downwardly by the user causes can guide 23 to skew clockwise (FIG. 5) within aperture 28.

As mentioned earlier, compression spring 33 resiliently urges wobble plate 26a flush against the inner face of lever'20. However, as can guide 23a starts its upward movement, rectangular portion 26a of the wobble plate will be swung rearwardly against the pressure of spring 33. This inward movement is, of course, achieved through the cooperation of the loose fit between cylindrical portion 24a and aperture 28 and the inclination or angling of the portion of front wall a directly above aperture 28. Accordingly, the components of the can opener shown in FIG. 4 move to and assume the positions of FIG. 5. During such movement, the actuating pin will consequently be moved into pressure contact with plunger 31, thus overcoming the spring bias of said plunger and closing the contacts of switch S, thereby completing the circuit and energizing motor M.

FIG. 2 shows the position of hand lever and all parts mounted thereto after the free end of same has been lowered sufficiently to bring about the closed switch condition described above. At this stage (FIG. 2), the end of the can has not yet been pierced by cutter wheel 21; however, due to energization of the motor the can is now being fed in respect to cutter wheel 21 by rotation of feed wheel 11. Continued downward force on the free end of hand lever 20 will cause the cutter wheel 21 to penetrate on through the end of the can, this penetration being greatly facilitated by the simultaneous advance and feeding of the can with respect to the cutter wheel. Accordingly, the severing of the end from the can requires application of but little force on the free end of lever 20.

So long as the free end of lever 20 is maintained in the fully lowered position, all parts will continue in the positions shown in FIG. 5, the switch will remain ON or in the contact closed condition, which is a condition that exists while the end of the can is being severed. The forces resulting from the engagement of the resilient can guide 34 and the can guide 23a with the can rim are sufficient to maintain the switch S in the ON condition whenever the free end of lever 20 is fully depressed. When the user releases or does not maintain lever 20 in its fully depressed condition, the action of the resilient can guide 34 bearing against can rim or flange 36 is suflicient to swing lever 20 counterclockwise (when viewed in FIG. 1) until the lever is approximately in the position shown in FIG. 1. Likewise, the force of compression spring 33 is adequate to return lever 20 and Wobble plate 26 from the position shown in FIG. 5 to the position shown in FIG. 4, thereby deenergizing motor M.

When it is desired to utilize the motor to drive the cutlery grinding wheel, it is necessary only to apply downward pressure to the horizontal leg 26b which is an integral part of wobble plate 26. The resulting coaction of elements is substantially the same as that occurring,

during can piercing in that the rectangular portion 26a of wobble plate 26 moves against the pressure of compression spring 33 to longitudinally shift actuating pin 30 against plunger 31 thereby closing switch S and energizing motor M. This is, of course, possible regardless of whether or not a can has been mounted for opening. The motor will stay energized so long as the user holds the free end of leg 26b fully depressed. Upon releasing or lessening to a certain degree the depressing pressure on leg 26b, compression spring 33 will again return the components from the actuated FIG. 5 position to the deenergized position shown in FIG. 4.

During the norm-a1 operation of the can opener, leg 26b is not utilized and due to its shape and physical position, it in no way interferes with the energization or deenergization of motor M when opening a can. This being the case, it is not necessary to delete or omit leg 26b when manufacturing a can opener for use without cutlery grinding means. Thusly this rugged and economical means for effecting energization of motor M as utilized with electrically powered can openers provides full interchangeability of wobble plates regardless of whether cutlery grinding means are provided in conjunction with the usual can severing capability.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that this invention is one well adapted to attain all of the ends and objects hereinabove set forth, together with other advantages which are obvious and which are inherent to the structure.

It will be understood that certain features and subeombinations are of utility and may be employed without reference to other features and subcombinations. This is contemplated by and is within the scope of the claims.

As many possible embodiments may be made of the invention without departing from the scope thereof, it is to be understood that all matter herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In an electrically powered can opener having an upright frame, a rotary feed wheel and an electric motor drivingly connected with said feed wheel, the combination therewith of a hand lever pivotally attached to the frame of said can opener, said hand lever being pivotable about an axis substantially parallel to the axis of the feed wheel, and at the same time said lever being swingable in a direction substantially transverse with respect to the axis of the feed wheel,

a cutting element mounted on said lever and movable into and out of overlapping cutting relationship with said feed wheel,

a normally open switch mounted on said frame and controlling the energization of said motor, and

switch operating means mounted between said lever and said switch operable to close said switch in response to the bringing of said cutting element into pressure contact with the end of the can to be opened and the rocking of said lever in said transverse direction.

2. The invention in claim 1 wherein said lever is attached to said frame by means of an elongate pin assembly, a portion of said pin assembly acting as a can guide and contacting the rim of a can flange during movement of said cutting element toward cutting relationship with said feed wheel, said pin assembly movable with said lever as said lever rocks in said transverse direction.

3. The invention in claim 2 wherein a portion of said pin assembly is loosely fitted within an aperture in said frame to allow limited movement of said pin assembly relative to said frame as said lever rocks in said transverse direction.

4. The invention in claim 3 wherein said switch includes a spring biased plunger operable to effect the closing of said normally open switch when said plunger is depressed, an actuating pin positioned within an opening defined in said frame between said plunger and said switch operating means, saidoperating means operable to contact and move said actuating pin against said plunger to thereby close said normally open switch in response to the movement of said switch operating means.

5. The invention in claim 4 wherein said switch operating means is biased away from said actuating pin by a compression spring surrounding said pin.

6. The invention in claim 5 wherein said switch operating means includes a wobble plate positioned between said lever and said frame, said wobble plate operable upon the bringing of said cutting element into pressure contact with the can to pivot against said compression spring and said actuating pin to thereby effect closure of said switch.

7. The invention in claim 6 wherein said wobble plate includes a horizontal leg extending over said frame, said leg operable in response to pressure thereon to pivot said plate against said compression spring and said actuating pin to thereby effect closure of said switch.

8. The invention in claim 1 including cutlery grinding means drivingly connected with and operable by said motor and means for initiating the operation of said switch operating means without the presence of said can.

9. The invention in claim 2 wherein said switch operating means includes a wobble plate mounted on said pin assembly between said frame and said lever, said wobble plate having a horizontal leg extending over said frame.

10. The invention in claim 9 wherein a cutlery grinding means is drivingly connected with said motor and operated in response to energization thereof by depressing said leg.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS OTHELL M SIMPSON, Primary Examiner.

GIL WEIDENFELD, Examiner. 

1. IN AN ELECTRICALLY POWERED CAN OPENER HAVING AN UPRIGHT FRAME, A ROTARY FEED WHEEL ANDAN ELECTRIC MOTOR DRIVINGLY CONNECTED WITH SAID FEED WHEEL, THE COMBINATION THEREWITH OF A HAND LEVER PIVOTALLY ATTACHED TO THE FRAME OF SAID CAN OPENER, SAID HAND LEVER BEING PIVOTABLE ABOUT AN AXIS SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TO THE AXIS OF THE FEED WHEEL, AND AT THE SAME TIME SAID LEVER BEING SWINGABLE IN A DIRECTION SUBSTANTIALLY TRANVERSE WITH RESPECT TO THE AXIS OF THE FEED WHEEL, A CUTTING ELEMENT MOUNTED ON SAID LEVER AND MOVABLE INTO ANDOUT OF OVERLAPPING CUTTING RELATIONSHIP WITH SAID FEED WHEEL, A NORMALLY OPEN SWITCH MOUNTED ON SAID FRAME AND CONTROLLING THE ENGAGIZATION OF SAID MOTOR, AND 